Where do you rent?

[Ponyfeathers]

Hey everyone,

Now that I am OW certified (Whoo!) i am very broke as well. I want to start diving as soon as possible, but my buddy and I do not own all of the gear. The LDS we certified at in Tampa would charge about $40.00 for tank with air, bc, and reg. We are planning on diving all over, so I still have to research other dive shops in florida.

Do any of you rent? What is a ballpark price for renting at your LDS? I just cant wait to own my gear someday.

Thanks!

 

[K Mejean]

The ball park price is somewhere between $40 and $60. A lot of it depends on the shop. My personal recommendation would be to rent from your local shop unless you are traveling away for long weekends or extended trips. They are probably going to give you as good a deal as anyone else and it is always good to support your local dive shop. Times are tough and they need all the help they can get. I have learned from experience that your loyalty will pay you back in the long run as well. The employees at the shop will remember you and when you go to buy gear their rememberance will undoubtedly come in to play.

 

[kober3513]

i dont know if you are close to gunn hwy in the tampa area but, diver's supply has some very competitive prices for rentals. also when you are ready you cant beat there prices on equipment. my fiance and i just bought all of our gear there. we paid the same for two sets of equipment at diver's supply that we would have paid for one set at another store. the guys in there are very helpful.

 

[giles45shop]

I would also recommend having a good relationship w/ a dive shop. If you like the one you certified at, that's the best place to start as you have already started developing a relationship w/ them. You want a shop that's conveniently located either to your work or home, so you can pick up and return the gear easily. This can be a real pain, depending on where/when you are diving. That's where the relationship part comes in. For example, you plan to return gear on Sunday, but it gets late, the shop's closed and you don't get over there until Monday. The good customer gets charged liked they returned it Sunday, the poor customer gets an extra day added on. Not saying that always happens, but just an example.

If you do start diving on a regular basis, you can quickly justify the purchase of a used set of basic gear for a few hundred bucks. Once again, if you have a good relationship w/ the shop, they may be able to help you out by putting you in touch w/ other customers who have used gear for sale, or even some of their own rental/class gear that they are selling off.

Welcome to diving!

John

 

[krawlings]

I second that (kober3513) Diver supply will help you out and give you an aaaasome deal . I perchased mine there (Doraville Ga. store) I got BCD. REG SET FOR UNDER $500.00. They advertize that they will match any ones price.

 

[K Mejean]

I have had no dealings with Divers Supply so this is in no way a knock on them so please don't take it that way. Don't let their prices alone get you. Sometimes a little more in the beginning pays bigger in the end. Thats where the relationship with your dive shop comes in again. The most important thing is the relationship.

 

[trogloxene]

I believe in supporting the LDS if possible. However, if you ever dive at Hudson Grotto you can rent everything you need on site from Scuba West

Scuba West > Home

Speaking of Divers Supply - they are having a sale

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/greater-tampa-bay-area/282717-sale-sale-sale-sale-sale.html


Sean

 

[eandiver]

I have a primary LDS for 2 reasons. One is the fact they are within 4 miles of my home and two they understand my specific equipment and the type of diving it's used for and can meet my needs. Tried and true, I can depend on them everytime I walk through the door.
I also try to frequent as many other dive shops as possible. To "share the wealth" of my purchases, to find a shop that may be able to provide a service others can't, to be able to have several area shops to choose from that I'm familiar with and meet and talk with the employees and divers who I would not see at the other shops.
In my opinion the price of an item is second to the help, knowledge and service provided both before and after the sale by the shop selling it.

 

[InkDiver]

If you're in Tampa, Tampa Adventure Sports on Fowler is the way to go. Bert, Ben and Carla will take good care of you. And the posts above are correct. Developing a relationship with your LDS pays dividends.